Sound receiving device



0 Feb 4, 1941- y R. M. son/:ERS` ETAL 2,230,365

SOUND RECEIVING DEVI CE Filed sept. 16, 1958 n ,INVENToRs R1 Chard M Somers BY. Newry?. Car? son HB3? WMM.,

A ORNEY Patented Feb. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Richard M. Somers and Henry S. Carlson, West Orange, N. J., assignors to Thomas A. Edison, Incorporated, West Orange, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application September Claims.

This invention relates to sound-receiving devices and the like, and more particularly to sound-receiving devices which are provided with auxiliary indicating and/or controlling means.

5 While the invention is not in all aspects limited thereto, it has particular utility and is described in connection with phonographs.

In phonographs-particularly phonographs of the dictating machine type-there are commonly l0 employed sound receiving devices provided with phonograph-controlling means, these devices being arranged to be grasped by the operator as he speaks thereinto. On or within such sound-receiving devices there may be aptly located a signalling light for indicating to the operator the condition of the phonograph.

The objects of this invention are to mount the signal light on the sound-receiving device in s'uch a manner as to render the light readily visible while enhancing the appearance of the receiving device, to renderthe receiving device safe so that the operator may grasp it with freedom from electrical shock, and yet to provide a mounting for the light permitting the light to be readily 5 removed from the receiving device.

Other objects are to provide a movable mounting for the signallight which is of simple construction, and which is readily adaptable to a phonograph sound-receiving device differing 30 from conventional forms to only such extent as involves relatively small increase in manufacturing cost.

Still other objects will appear from the following description and the appended claims.

In the description of my invention reference is had to the accompanying drawing, of which:

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view. taken substantially centrally therethrough, of a soundo conveying device in which my invention is incorporated, some interior parts thereof being shown in elevation;

Fig.,2 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 3,-3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a reduced cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-,4 of Fig. 1.

Reference being had to Fig. 1,.there will be seen asound conveying device of a form adapted for use with phonographs of the dictating machine type. This sound-conveying device comprises a handpiece I having a sound conduit 2 5| which is slightly curved and gradually flared out- 16, 1938, Serial No. 230,194

wardly. The inner and smaller end of the sound conduit 2 is provided with a reinforced extension 3 arranged to make connection with one end 4 of a speaking tube 4, and be retained thereto as by a set screw 5. The other end of the speaking tube 4 may make connectionwith a phonograph or the like, this other end portion of the tube 4, as well as the phonograph, being unnecessary to show. Threaded into the outer and larger end of the conduit 2 is a mouthpiece 6 preferably having an inner perforated wall 1 serving as a barrier against the passage of dirt into the conduit 2, yet not impeding the passing of sound waves" therethrough. The handpiece I is arranged to be grasped by the operator and held, during the operation of recording, in a position wherein the mouthpiece 6 is directly before his mouth so that the sound waves from his mouth may be collected by the mouthpiece and conveyed by the conduit 2 and speaking tube 4. It will also be understood that during an operation of reproducing the operator may hold the soundconveying device to his ear, the mouthpiece 6 then serving as an earpiece. To permit such freedom of movement of the sound-conveying device, the Speaking tube] is made quite flexible.

At the "rearward portionI of the handpiece I the place where Athe operator normally grasps the handpiece-theremayf be provided '-'a 'phonograph-controlling: device 8. This control device may ycomprise a single-pole Adouble#throw*switch-:-

having polemember-Q andcontact-members I0 and II carried `in a stack II, such form ofswitch beingcommonly employed for controllingl phonograph clutchfactuating mechanisms, for example mechanisms' of the type described in Langley/ e Patent No. 1,380,486` and is`su`ed", Junel 7 l19.212i

This control device maybe housed in acomp'art-- ment Izihaving the frontend backwaus lj; and the sidewalls I4 shown inFlg. 4, each of theseI walls being preferably integrally formed vwith the handpiece' I'. The top 'of' compartment I2 may" be enclosed by a cover I5 pivoted at its rearward end I5' to the side walls I4, as by a pinv I6. rThe cover I5 is biased upwardly by a spring I1, into a position as shown in Fig. 1, this position being defined by a screw I8 threaded in the-forward wall I3- and extending into an elongated slot I9 provided in a downwardly extending fiangeZIl at the forward portion I5" of the cover I5. The Y cover` I5 isV provided with side flanges 2| shown in Fig. 4, which slidably contact the side walls I4 to guide the cover I5 inwardlythereof, `these` sid flanges V2'I together 'with the Iiiange- 2 0 also Aserve ing to maintain the compartment I2 substantially closed when the cover I5 is in its upward position. Electrical connection may be made to the control device 8, as by a cable 22 running from the compartment I2 through an eyelet 22 into the speaking tube 4.

When the cover I5 is in its upward position the pole member- I is biased, as rby a spring 23, into contact with'the contact member I8, the spring 23 also serving as a conductor for the pole member 9. As the cover I5 is moved downwardly, as by the grasp of the operators hand, an inwardly projecting element 24 of the cover I5 abuts against the pole member 9 so as to move it downwardly into contact with the other contact member II, thereby throwing the switch.

Whenever a signal light is located on a soundconveying device of the type hereinabove described, it is highly desirable that the light be located so that it is readily visible, yet not abruptly projecting from the handpiece; it is moreover highly important that the light be suitably protectively covered to prevent any possible elec- 'trical shock to the operator and to prevent possible `breakage of the light, yet being conveniently removable from the handpiece as for replacement thereof. It is moreover obviously important that the handpiece and signal-light mounting be low in manufacturing cost. In our invention we provide an arrangement oi' signal light and soundconveying device fulfilling all of the desirable objectives hereinabove noted.

The handpiece I, which is preferably a molded integral piece of insulating material,. is provided with a recess 25 in the wall of the conduit 2. This recess is located forwardly of the compartment I5 and is preferably of a form having `an outer wall portion 25' of substantially semicircular cross section as shown in Fig. 3, this portion being arranged to form a substantially smooth forward extension of the side walls I4 of the compartment I5. The forward wall prtion 26 of the recess 25 is made gradually sloping to enhance the appearance of the handpiece I, and in the portion 26 there is provided an opening or window 21. The recess 25 provides a convenient location for a signal light 28. Although the walls 25' and 26 of the recess do not project abruptly from the handpiece I but rather project out gradually along lines lending beauty to the handpiece, the opening 21 renders the signal light 28 yet readily visible to the operator as he holds the handpiece before him to speak thereinto. The inner surface 25" of the walls i, 25' forming the recess 25 may be highly polished in order that the signal light 28 may be visible through a wide angle by the reflected light from the surface 25". In the above arrangement, it will be seen that with the use of a suitable screw driver the screw I8 may be readily adjusted by way of the opening 21.

The supporting means for the signal light 28 comprises a `flat rectangular plate 29 which is made of a conductive and resilient material. The plate 29 is disposed Within and along the conduit 2 and is supported, in cantilever fashion,

by the screws 30 which pass through the wall of the conduit 2 and thread into a small plate 3| secured, as by solder, to the plate 29. In order that the plate 29 may also serve as a conductor for the light 28. the plate 29 is electrically conne'cted with a conductor in thevform of a thin plate 32. disposed at the bottom of the compartment I 2, by means of the heads 30' of the screws 30 which pass through the plate and make electrical contact therewith. Resting on the-plate 32, and retained in-electrical contact therewith as by a screw 33', is a conductor in the form of relatively thick bar 33 which forms an electrical connection between the conductor or biasing spring 23 for the pole member 9 and the plate 32. Thus the plate 29 -is electrically connected with the pole member 9. (The bar 33 also serves as a support for a bracket 34, secured thereto as.

by welding, which carries a cross pin 34' serving as a pivot for the pole member 9.) The plate 29 extends forwardly between the recess 25 and the passageway of the conduit 2. The forward end portion 29' of the plate 29'supports, and makes electrical connection with the shell 35 of a light socket 35 for the signal light 28, by way of a right angle bracket 36 secured to the light socket and retained to the plate 29 by the rivets 31 shown in Fig. 2. A second electrical connection to the socket 35 and light 28 is effected by a conductor 38 which passes through the conduit 2 and the speaking tube 4.

To the forward end portion 29' of the plate 29 there is connected a plate extension 39 which forms with the portion 29 a partition between the recess 25 and the passageway of the conduit 2. The plate extension 39 is curved to conform to the curvature of the conduit 2, and is insulated from the plate 29 by an insulating plate 40 which is secured to the plate extension 39 by the rivets 4I and to the plate 29 by the aforementioned rivets 31 and another rivet 42. The plate extension 39 is normally urged upwardly, as seen in Fig. 1, against the wall of the conduit 2, this upward urging of the plate extension 39 being effected by an upward biasing of the resilient plate 29. While the plate extension 39 is maintained in such upward position, its side edges 39" conform closely to the wall of the conduit 2. At the front of the recess 25 there is provided a flat shoulder 43 which the plate extension 39 contacts throughout its width while the plate extension 39 is in its upward position. 'Ihus the plate extension 39, together with the portion 29 of the plate 29, divides the recess 25 from the passageway of the conduit 2, and forms a compartment for the signal light 28. As a result the sound waves are effectively prevented from entering the recess 25 and the signal light is suinciently shielded from the passageway of the con.. duit 2 to prevent it from being seen by way of the mouthpiece 6.

The forward end portion 39 of the plate extension 39 is extended suilciently forwardly to abut against a shoulder provided on the mouthpiece v6, when the mouthpiece is threaded into the conduit 2. By such abutment the plate 29 and plate extension 39 are firmly held in their normal position. When the mouthpiece 9 is removed, the portion 395 is readily accessible and serves as a ngerpiece which may be grasped and moved downwardly against the spring force of the plate 29 into a position such as is shown in dash-dot lines in Fig. 1. It is for the purpose of preventingv possible electrical shock to the operator as he grasps the portion 39' that the plate extension 39 is insulated from the plate 29. When the plates 39 and 29 are in their downward position, the signal light 28 is readily accessible for removal from the socket 35. Upon release, the plate 29 will snap back to restore the signal light 28 in its normal position within the recess 25.

Although we have herein described and illustrated a particular embodiment of our invention,

it will be understood that the same is subject to many changes and modifications without departing from the scope of our invention, which we undertake to express according to the following claims:

We claim:

1. In a device of the character described: the combination of an open-ended sound conduit provided with an interior recess within the con duit, a signal positioned in said recess and out of the passageway of the conduit, a movably mounted holder in said conduit for said signal operable to move the signal from said recess into the passageway of the conduit whereby to render the signal accessible from the open end of the conduit, and resilient means biasing said holder to normally retain the signal Within said recess.

2. In a device of the character described: the combination of an open-ended sound conduit having a wall portion providing an interior recess in said conduit and a window in said recess, a signal light positioned in said recess and out of the passageway of the conduit and rendered visible to the outside by Way of said window, and support means in said conduit for said signal light comprising a movably mounted holder biased to normally retain the signal light within said recess and manually movable into a constrained position to move the light from said recess into said passageway whereby to render the light accessible for replacement from the open end of the conduit.

3. In a device pf the character described: the

combination of an openended sound conduit havi ing a wall portion providing an interior lateral recess within the conduit and a Window in said recess; a signal light adapted to be positioned within said recess; and support means in said conduit for said signal light, comprising a holder for the light movable transversely of the passageway of the conduit to move the light out of said recess into said passageway whereby to render the signal light accessible from the open end of the conduit, and spring means biasing said holder to normally retain the light in said recess.

4. In a device of the character described: the combination of an open-ended sound conduit having a wall portion providing an interior recess in said conduit and a window in said recess; a signal light; a movably mounted support in said conduit for said signal light having a position wherein said signal light is held within said recess at said Window and having another position wherein the signal light is held out of said recess in the passageway of the conduit and is rendered accessible from the open end of the conduit; and means associated with said support for forming, when the support is in the :first of its s'aid positions, a partition between said recess and said passageway.

5. In a device of the character described: the combination of an open-ended sound conduit; a mouthpiece removably secured t0 the open end of said conduit;- a signal in said conduit having a normal position of operation removed from the open end of the conduit; a mounting in said conduit for said signal movable to place the signal into a. position within the open end portion of the conduit; and means, engaged by said mouthpiece when the same is secured to said conduit, for holding said mounting to retain said signal in its said normal position of operation.

RICHARD M. SOMERS. HENRY S. CARLSON. 

